1 


1 K '45?, 

• A 55 

13 c ) iP° Tn Congress, | HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, j Document 
3d Session. j | No. 1181. 


PURCHASE OF MANUSCRIPT OF “A CHRONOLOGICAL 
HISTORY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE,” ETC. 

—- 

L E T T E H 

FROM 

THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY, 

TRANSMITTING 

A COPY OF A COMMUNICATION FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE 
SUBMITTING AN ESTIMATE OF APPROPRIATION FOR PURCHASE 
OF MANUSCRIPT OF WORK ENTITLED “A CHRONOLOGICAL HIS- 
TORY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE AND THE FOREIGN RE¬ 
LATIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT.” 


December 12, 1908.—Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and ordered to 

be printed. 


t Treasury Department, 

Office of the Secretary, 

Washington, December 10, 1908. 

9 Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith, for the consideration 

of Congress, copy of a communication from the Secretary of State 
of the 9th instant, submitting an estimate of appropriation, $6,000, 
for the purchase of the manuscript of the work entitled “A Chrono¬ 
logical History of the Department of State and the Foreign Relations 
of the Government from September 5, 1774, to July 1, 1885,” com¬ 
piled by Mr. John H. Haswell. 

Respectfully, Geo. B. Cortelyou, 

Secretary. 

The Speaker of the House of Representatives. 


Department of State, 
Washington, December 9, 1908. 

Sir: I have the honor to request that you will forward to the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives an estimate for an appro¬ 
priation for $6,000, to enable the Secretary of State to purchase the 
manuscript of the work entitled “A ^Chronological History of the 














2 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE, ETC. 


Department of State and the Foreign Relations of the Government 
from September 5, 1774, to July 1, 1885/’ compiled by Mr. John H. 
Has well, for twenty years Chief of the Bureau of Indexes and Archives 
of this department. t 

This work is fully described in House Document No. 403, Iifty- 
ninth Congress, first session, a copy of which is hereto attached. 

Believing that the work would be of great service to the depart¬ 
ment, I should be glad if provision for its purchase were made at the 
present session of Congress. 

I have the honor to be, sir, 

Your obedient servant, 


Elihu Root. 


The Secretary of the Treasury. 


[House Document No. 403, Fifty-ninth Congress, first session.] 

Treasury Department, 

Office of the Secretary, 
Washington, January 20, 1906. 

Sir : I have the honor to transmit herewith, for the consideration of 
Congress, copy of a communication from the Secretary of State, of 
the 18th instant, and its inclosures, submitting an estimate of appro¬ 
priation for the purchase of the manuscript of the work entitled “A 
Chronological History of the Department of State and the Foreign 
Relations of the Government from September 5, 1774, to July 1, 
1885,” compiled by Mr. John H. Haswell, $6,000. 

Respectfully, C. H. Keep, 

Acting Secretary. 

The Speaker of the House of Representatives. 


Department of State, 

Washington, January 18, 1906. 

Sir: I have the honor to request that you will forward to the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives an estimate for an appro¬ 
priation for $6,000, to enable the Secretary of State to purchase the 
manuscript of the work entitled “A Chronological History of the 
Department of State and the Foreign Relations of the Government 
from September 5, 1774, to July 1, 1885,” compiled by Mr. John H. 
Haswell, for twenty years Chief of the Bureau of Indexes and Archives 
of the Department of State. 

This work, consisting of about 4 volumes of 700 manuscript pages 
each, has been submitted to this department for inspection and pur¬ 
chase by Mr. Chandler P. Anderson in behalf of Mr. II as well’s niece, 
Mrs. Gibson Oliver, of Albany, N. Y., to whom it was bequeathed by 
Mr. Haswell in his will. A copy of Mr. Anderson’s letter is inclosed. 

The compilation has been the subject of strong commendatory 
letters by Secretaries of State Frelinghuysen, Bayard, Blaine, Foster, 
and Gresham, and by Mr. Henry O’Connor, at the time examiner of 
claims for the Department of State. These letters are printed in 
public documents, copies of which I also inclose. 





CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE, ETC. 


3 


The work has, under my direction, been carefully examined. As 
stated by Mr. Frelinghu} r sen, it contains— 

a record of the dates of appointment and terms of service of all presiding officers of 
the Colonial Congress, of Presidents of the United States, of Secretaries of State, under 
secretaries, and all officers, clerks, etc., of this department, of committees having 
charge of our foreign relations, and of all officers connected with the foreign service 
of the United States, whether diplomatic, consular, political, or special, as well as the 
dates of presentation and terms of service of all representatives of foreign countries 
accredited to this Government. A brief synopsis of every treaty, protocol, convention, 
or agreement between the United States and a foreign government, and the cause, 
nature, and result of every international tribunal or commission in which this Gov¬ 
ernment or its officers took part, together with the names, character of the duties, and 
terms of service of all officers connected with them, are given. 

No better statement of the value of the compilation could be made 
than that set forth by Mr. Bayard in his letter of November 7,1887 
(H. R. Ex. Doc. 110, 48th Cong., 2d sess.), which I quote: 

This work, presenting in an accessible form full chronological data of the Depart¬ 
ment of State and of the foreign relations of the Government from the organization 
of the Colonial Congress, in September, 1774, down to the present time, November 
7, 1887, will be of unquestioned value as a book of reference for Congress and the 
Executive Departments, especially for the Department of State and its officers. It 
will also be a mine of information for students of history and a valuable accession to 
libraries of reference. Among other information, it contains a full and accurate list 
of officers and employees of the Department of State, of diplomatic and consular offi¬ 
cers of this Government, and of the persons representing foreign countries in diplo¬ 
matic and consular capacities in the United States, with dates of appointment and 
termination of service. The dates and scope of all treaties negotiated by the United 
States, together with all international commissions and arbitrations established under 
claims conventions, and their objects, are also briefly and accurately described. Valua¬ 
ble historical facts, believed hitherto to have been buried in the mass of records, 
have been brought to light. Much valuable data, lost when the Government offices 
were destroyed by the British in the war of 1812, are supplied in this work, which 
will fill in the neighborhood of five hundred printed pages. Information which would 
require long and laborious, perhaps fruitless, search can be easily obtained by con¬ 
sulting the “Chronological History;” and the thread of negotiations, which would 
otherwise be lost, will thus be traceable. The work, in fine, is a convenient and 
accessible digest of the records of the Department of State for over one hundred years, 
from which the most valuable facts have been carefully compiled. The compiler’s 
twenty-one years’ service in the Department of State have given him especial facilities 
and aptitude for his undertaking, to which he has devoted fourteen years of his time 
when not engaged in his official duties. 

It is the present opinion of the department that the commendation 
given to Mr. Haswell’s work by my predecessors is fully justified. 
Believing that the work would be of great service to the department, 
at least as a valuable handbook of reference, containing in a collective 
and systematized form information, which to obtain elsewhere would 
in many instances require research and time, I add my own recom¬ 
mendation to theirs, and should be glad if provision for its purchase 
were included in the diplomatic and consular bill to be reported this 
session. 

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 

Elihu Root. 

The Secretary of the Treasury. 


Item. 

To enable the Secretary of State to purchase from Mrs. Gibson Oliver, of Albany, 
New York, the manuscript of “The Chronological History of the Department of 
State and the Foreign Relations of the Government from September fifth, seventeen 



4 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE, ETC. 


hundred and seventy-four, to July first, eighteen hundred and eighty-five,” prepared 
by the late John H. Haswell, formerly Chief of the Bureau of Indexes and Archives 
of the Department of State, the sum of six thousand dollars is hereby appropriated. 

And the Public Printer is hereby authorized, upon the requisition of the Secretary 
of State to cause to be prepared and bound in cloth, for the use of the Department of 
State, five thousand copies of the above-mentioned work. 


Law Offices of Anderson & Anderson, 

New York , Novembers, 1905. 

Sir: I have the honor to call to your attention the work prepared by the late Mr. 
John H. Haswell, formerly Chief of the Bureau of Indexes and Archives in the State 
Department, comprising a “Chronological history of the Department of State and 
the foreign relations of the Government from September 5, 1774, down to July 1, 
1885.” Several former Secretaries of State have been desirous of procuring this work 
for the Government and have urged upon Congress that an appropriation to the 
amount of $6,000 be made for that purpose, Mr. Haswell having agreed to accept that 
price for his work. 

I inclose herewith a pamphlet containing a reprint of some official correspondence 
on the subject from Secretary Frelinghuysen, Secretary Bayard, Secretary Blaine, 
Secretary Foster, and Secretary Gresham, all of whom agree that the work would be 
of great* value to Secretaries of State and their assistants, to the other executive 
departments of the Government, to the Committees on Foreign Relations of Con¬ 
gress, and to officers in the foreign service of the Government, as well as of general 
interest to historians, and they all urge upon Congress the importance of purchasing 
it for the Government. The pamphlet also Contains a reprint of a Senate committee 
report recommending the appropriation. Before any appropriation was obtained, 
however, Mr. Haswell died, and the book was lost sight of until the matter came to 
my attention during the past year. The manuscript now belongs to Mr. Haswell’s 
niece, Mrs. Gibson Oliver, of Albany, N. Y., to whom it was bequeathed by Mr. Has¬ 
well in his will, and she has authorized me on her behalf to again offer it to the Gov¬ 
ernment for the same price at which Mr. Haswell formerly agreed to sell it, namely, 
$ 6 , 000 . 

The work is all in manuscript, bound in four volumes; and in order that it may be 
inspected and its value understood I have deposited it in the department in accord¬ 
ance with the arrangement approved by you, in the care of Mr. T. John Newton, the 
Acting Chief of the Bureau of Indexes and Archives. Mr. Newton holds it subject to 
your orders, and will place it at the disposal of anyone whom you may wish to have 
examine it. 

Respectfully, yours, Chandler P. Anderson. 

Hon. Elihu Root, 

Secretary of State, Department of State, 

Washington, D. C. 


Form for appropriation. 

To enable the Secretary of State to purchase the manuscript of “The Chronological 
History of the Department of State and the Foreign Relations of the Government 
from September fifth, seventeen hundred and seventy-four, to July first, eighteen 
hundred and eighty-five,” prepared by John H. Haswell, formerly Chief of the 
Bureau of Indexes and Archives in the Department of State, the sum of six thousand 
dollars is hereby appropriated. 

And the Public Printer is hereby authorized, upon the requisition of the Secretary 
of State, to cause to be printed and bound in cloth, for the use of the Department of 
State,-thousand copies of the above-mentioned work. 


[House Ex. Doc. No. 124, Forty-eighth Congress, first sssion.] 

Department of State, 

Washington, March 24, 1884. 

Sir: Mr. John H. Haswell, Chief of the Bureau of Indexes and Archives in this 
department, has compiled a chronological .history of the Department of State and of 
the foreign relations of the United States from the time of the organization of the 






CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE, ETC. 5 


first Colonial Congress, in September, 1774, down to the present time. In it is pre¬ 
sented a complete and accurate record of the dates of appointment and terms of 
service of all presiding officers of the Colonial Congress, of Presidents of the United 
States, of Secretaries of State, under secretaries, and all officers, clerks, etc., of this 
department (including those of the Patent Office previous to its transfer to the De¬ 
partment of the Interior), of committees having charge of our foreign affairs, and 
of all officers connected with the foreign service of the United States, either diplo¬ 
matic, consular, political, or special, as well as the dates of presentation and terms 
of service of all representatives of foreign countries accredited to this Government. 
A brief synopsis of every treaty, convention, protocol, or agreement between the 
United States and a foreign Government, and the cause, nature, and result of every 
international tribunal and commission in which this Government or its officers took 
part, together with the names, character of the duties, and terms of service of all 
officers connected with them, are given. 

The work has been compiled by Mr. Haswell with the greatest regard for complete¬ 
ness and accuracy—about twelve years having been consumed by him (outside of his 
regular duties at the department) in its preparation—and he has succeeded in arranging 
its contents in such a form as to facilitate in the highest possible degree a reference to 
any particular subject or to the official history of any individual, thus insuring its 
value as a handbook of reference. Many important facts in the early history of our 
foreign relations not hitherto known have been discovered by the author in his exhaust¬ 
ive researches among the government archives, and are here presented for the first 
time; and his work is of especial value because it completes the imperfect records of 
the early period of this department, many of which were destroyed during the war 
of 1812. 

T-wo of the Assistant Secretaries of State and the examiner of claims have exam¬ 
ined the work and recommend its purchase for publication, in the full belief that it 
will be a valuable handbook of reference to the heads of the executive departments 
of the Government, and in the certainty that it will be invaluable to the Committees 
on Foreign Affairs of Congress, to Secretaries of State and their assistants, and to 
officers in the foreign service of the Government. 

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 

Fredk. T. Frelinghuysen. 

Hon. John G. Carlisle, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 


Department op State, 
Washington , September 26, 1883 . 

Sir: I have gone over, with the aid of Mr. Haswell and with some care on my own 
part, that gentleman’s rare and valuable compilation of the officers, employees, and 
agents of the Department of State, including our foreign service, diplomatic and con¬ 
sular, from the earliest steps of the colonists toward independence up to the present 
year. 

Mr. Haswell’s unpretentious work shows both skill and industry. 

Commencing with the Continental Congress in 1774, he has given a bird’s-eye 
view of the men and events of which he treats up to the present year: Presidents 
and Vice-Presidents of the United States; Secretaries of < State and Assistant Secre¬ 
taries; all the officers and clerks who have ever been in the department; all our 
ministers abroad, general and special; all consular officers of every grade who have 
been in the service of the Government ; the date and character of all treaties and 
conventions concluded between the United States and foreign powers; all commis¬ 
sions and arbitrations established under claims conventions or to which this Govern¬ 
ment was a party. . . . .... 

This, though its chief, is by no means its only value. It is interspersed with 
pertinent and rare scraps of history, which to the curious scholar, the historian, or 
the gentleman of leisure will be found most interesting and valuable. 

To all the executive departments of the Government it would prove to be a most 
valuable book of reference; to this department it would be almost invaluable, and 
should be on the tables of the Secretary and his assistants. 

Such a work, even imperfectly done, would be useful, but one of the chief merits 
of Mr. Haswell’s performance is in the accuracy, exactness, and completeness with 
which he has accomplished his laborious task. 

I hope some way may be found to make the work available for use, and at the 
same time to remunerate Mr. Haswell for what must have cost him many years of 
labor. 

With great respect, etc., 


Hon. Frederick T. Frelinghuysen. 


Henry O’Connor, 
Examiner of Claims. 



6 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE, ETC. 


Department of State, 

Washington, March 21, 188A- 

In the “Chronological History of the Department of State and the Foreign Rela¬ 
tions of the Government from September 5, 1774, to the present time,” an effort has 
been made to present a complete record of the date of the appointment and term of 
service of every diplomatic and consular officer of every grade and character; of 
political and special agents of the Government; of presiding officers of the Colonial 
Congress; of committees having charge of the foreign affairs of the country; of Presi¬ 
dents of the United States; of Secretaries of State, Assistant Secretaries, and Under 
Secretaries; of chief clerks, bureau officers, translators, disbursing agents, clerks, mes¬ 
sengers, and dispatch agents; all persons connected with the Patent Office down to 
the time of its transfer to the Interior Department; and also the names and dates of 
presentation of foreign representatives accredited to the Government of the United 
States. A list of all treaties, conventions, protocols, and agreements entered into by 
the United States with foreign governments, together with a description of the char¬ 
acter of each; a list of all officers connected with the acts of transfer to the United 
States of territory ceded to it by foreign governments, together with a statement of 
how such cession was brought about, with the date of the actual transfer of such terri¬ 
tory and date of appointment of the transferring officers; and also a list of the names 
and dates of appointment of those constituting international tribunals, or those in 
which the President of the United States acted as umpire; also boundary, claims, and 
other commissions, giving the causes which brought such tribunals or commissions 
into existence, authority under which they were constituted, and the results brought 
about, are included in the compilation. 

With respect to diplomatic officers, political or special agents, and Secretaries of 
State, a brief statement is given of*the character of their missions or duties, the sub¬ 
stance of the powers for negotiation given them at various times, together with the 
date of each treaty, convention, protocol, or agreement concluded by them. 

It is intended by this work to complete, so far as the date of appointment of offi¬ 
cers is concerned, the records of the Department of State, which, particularly during 
the earlier period of our history, are very imperfect, many of them having been 
destroyed by the British during the war of 1812. 

In or(Jer to effect this end recourse has been had to the account books of the Treas¬ 
ury Department, the secret and executive journals of Congress, the diplomatic corre¬ 
spondence of the Government, and other equally authentic sources of information. 

The compilation covers the period from September 5, 1774, when (upon the propo¬ 
sition of the Province of Massachusetts Bay) a congress of the delegates from the sev¬ 
eral colonies was organized in the city of Philadelphia, down to the present time. 

John Ii. Haswell, 

Chief of Bureau of Indexes and Archives. 


[House Ex. Doe. No. 110, Forty-eighth Congress, second session.] 

Treasury Department, 

January 21, 1885 . 

Sir: I have the honor to forward herewith an estimate of appropriation received 
from the Secretary of State for $6,000 to purchase the manuscript of the work entitled 
‘ ‘ The Chronological History of the Department of State and the Foreign Relations of 
the Government from September 5, 1774, to the present time,” compiled by John H. 
Haswell. 

Very respectfully, H. McCulloch, 

Secretary. 

The honorable Speaker of the House of Representatives. 


Department of State, 
Washington, January 19, 1885. 

Sir: I have the honor to request that, under the act passed July 7, 1884, you 
recommend to Congress an appropriation of the sum of $6,000, to enable the Secretary 
of State to purchase the manuscript of the work entitled “The Chronological History 
of the Department of State and the Foreign Relations of the Government from Sep¬ 
tember 5, 1774, to the present time,” compiled by Mr. John H. Haswell, Chief of the 
Bureau of Indexes and Archives in this department. The subject of the purchase 
of the manuscript from the author for publication was presented to Congress at its 



CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE, ETC. 7 


last session, as will appear from the letter addressed by me on the 24th day of March 
last to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, a copy of which is inclosed. 

I now learn from Mr. Haswell, by a communication from him of even date (a copy 
of which is also inclosed herewith), that he is engaged in carrying the record of the 
department and the foreign service down to July 1, 1885, a period nearly two years 
later than was intended at the time the letter of the department above alluded to 
was sent to the Speaker. 

# This addition makes the work a comprehensive history of every branch of the for¬ 
eign relations of this country, of the treaties, the international conferences, the diplo¬ 
matic and consular service, the committees of foreign affairs of Congress, and the 
officers of every grade of this department from the time of the first Colonial Congress 
down to the very day on which the publication of the work is expected to be com¬ 
pleted, and gives the compilation an inestimable value as a reference book to this 
department, to committees on foreign affairs, and to the foreign service of the Gov¬ 
ernment. In the opinion of this department, the immediate purchase and speedy 
publication of this work will be of incalculable benefit, and I have the honor to rec¬ 
ommend that such steps as are necessary to that end be taken as soon as possible. 
I have also to recommend that for that purpose a clause similar to the draft inclosed 
herewith be inserted in the proper appropriation bill. 

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 

Fred’k T. Frelinghuysen. 

Hon. Hugh McCulloch, 

Secretary of the Treasury. 


To enable the Secretary of State to purchase from John H. Haswell, Chief of the 
Bureau of Indexes and Archives in the Department of State, the manuscript of “The 
Chronological History of the Department of State and the Foreign Relations of the 
Government from September 5, 1774, to July 1, 1885, ” prepared by him, the sum of 
$6,000 is hereby appropriated. 

And the Public Printer is hereby authorized, upon the requisition of the Secretary 
of State, to cause to be printed and bound in cloth, for the use of the Department of 
State, 5,000 copies of the above-mentioned work. 


\ 


Department of State, 

Washington, March 24, 1884 . 

Sir: Mr. John H. Haswell, Chief of the Bureau of Indexes and Archives in this 
Department, has compiled a chronological history of the Department of State and of 
the foreign relations of the United States from the time of the organization of the 
first Colonial Congress, in September, 1774, down to the present time. In it is pre¬ 
sented a complete and accurate record of the dates of appointment and terms of 
service of all presiding officers of the Colonial Congress, of Presidents of the United 
States, of Secretaries of State, under secretaries, and all officers, clerks, etc., of this 
department (including those of the Patent Office previous to its transfer to the 
Department of the Interior), of committees having charge of our foreign affairs, and 
of all officers connected with the foreign service of the United States, either diplo¬ 
matic, consular, political, or special, as well as the dates of presentation and terms of 
service of all representatives of foreign countries accredited to this Government. A 
brief synopsis of every treaty, convention, protocol, or agreement between the 
United States and a foreign government, and the cause, nature, and result of every 
international tribunal and commission in which this Government or its officers took 
part, together with the names, character of the duties, and terms of service of all 
officers connected with them are given. 

The work has been compiled by Mr. Haswell, with the greatest regard for complete¬ 
ness and accuracy—about twelve years having been consumed by him (outside of his 
regular duties at the department) in its preparation—and he has succeeded in arrang¬ 
ing its contents in such a form as to facilitate in the highest possible degree a reference 
to any particular subject or to the official history of any individual, thus insuring its 
value as a handbook of reference. Many important facts in the early history of our 
foreign relations not hitherto known have been discovered by the author in his 
exhaustive researches among the government archives, and are here presented for 
the first time; and his work is of especial value because it completes the imperfect 
records of the early period of this department, many of which were destroyed during 
the war of 1812. _ . m * it-*— bn-.— . 




8 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE, ETC. 


Two of the Assistant Secretaries of State and the examiner of claims have exam¬ 
ined the work and recommend its purchase for publication, in the full belief that it 
will be a valuable handbook of reference to the heads of the executive departments 
of the Government, and in the certainty that it will be invaluable to the Committees 
of Foreign Affairs of Congress, to Secretaries of State and their assistants, and to 
officers in the foreign service of the Government. 

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 

• Fred’k T. Frelinghuysen. 

Hon. John G. Carlisle, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 


Department of State, 
Washington, September 26, 1883. 

Sir: I have gone over, with the aid of Mr. Haswell, and with some care on my 
own part, that gentleman’s rare and valuable compilation of the officers, employees, 
and events of the Department of State, including our foreign service, diplomatic and 
consular, from the earliest steps of the colonists toward independence up to the 
present year. 

Mr. Haswell’s unpretentious work shows both skill and industry. 

Commencing with the Continental Congress in 1774, he has given a bird’s-eye view 
of the men and events of which he treats up to the present year: Presidents and Vice- 
Presidents of the United States; Secretaries of State and Assistant Secretaries; all 
the officers and clerks who have ever been in the department; all our ministers abroad, 
general and special; all consular officers of every grade who have been in the sendee 
of the Government; the date and character of all treaties and conventions concluded 
between the United States and foreign powers; all commissions and arbitrations estab¬ 
lished under claims conventions or to which this Government was a party. 

This, though its chief, is by no means its only value. It is interspersed with perti¬ 
nent and rare scraps of history, which to the curious scholar, the historian, or the gen¬ 
tleman of leisure will be found most interesting and valuable. 

To all the executive departments of the Government it would prove to be a most 
valuable book of reference; to this department it would be almost invaluable, and 
should be on the tables of the Secretary and his assistants. 

Such a work, even imperfectly done, would be useful, but one of the chief merits 
of Mr. Haswell’s performance is in the accuracy, exactness, and completeness with 
which he has accomplished his laborous task. 

I hope some way may be found to make the work available for use, and at the same 
time to remunerate Mr. Haswell for what must have cost him many years of labor. 

With great respect, etc., 


Hon. Frederick T. Frelinghuysen. 


Henry O’Connor, 
Examiner of Claims. 


Department of State, 

Bureau of Indexes and Archives, 

Washington, January 19, 1885. 

Sir: I have the honor to again respectfully call your attention to my work, “The 
Chronological History of the Deparment of State and the Foreign Relations of the 
Government from 1774 to the Present Time, ” and to inform you that I am now engaged 
in completing the compilation down to July 1, 1885, a date nearly two years later 
than was intended, when I had the honor to present the subject" to you in March 
last. I think that you will agree with me that the additional labor thus entailed 
merits some additional compensation, and I have the honor to respectfully request 
that the proper steps be taken with a view to purchasing my work and appropriating 
for such purchase the sum of $6,000. 

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 

John H. Haswell, 

Chief of Bureau of Indexes and Archives. 

Hon. Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, 

Secretary of State. 



CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE, ETC. 1 9 


[Senate Report No. 1294, Fifty-second Congress, second session.] 

The work of Mr. Haswell is one of great value, and its acquisition by the Govern¬ 
ment has been repeatedly recommended by the Department of State. 

Secretary Blaine, under date May 6, 1892, in a personal letter to the chairman of 
this committee, strongly recommended the purchase of the manuscript designated in 
the amendment, and similar recommendations (hereto annexed) had previously been 
made by Mr. Frelinghuysen and also by Mr. Blaine. 

The present Secretary of State, in a letter hereto appended, urges an appropriation 
for the purchase of this work. 

< The subject has also been considered in House Executive Document 110, Forty- 
eighth Congress, second session, hereto appended. 

The adoption of the amendment is recommended. 


Department of State, 
Washington, February 24, 1885. 

Sir: I have the honor to again call your attention to the work prepared by Mr. John 
H. Haswell, Chief of the Bureau of Indexes and Archives in this department, entitled 
“ The Chronological History of the Department of State and the Foreign Relations of the 
Government from September 5, 1774, down to the present time,” and to express to you 
my earnest hope that Congress will not adjourn without appropriating a sum of money 
for the purchase of the manuscript from the compiler. The worl^ has been compiled 
with infinite attention to historical accuracy and completeness by a gentleman whose 
long and efficient service in the department has put him in a position to know per¬ 
fectly the details of the subject on which he has written, and his researches outside the 
department have resulted in the discovery of many important and hitherto unknown 
facts in the history of our foreign relations that should be at the service of the depart¬ 
ment. 

I do not think $6,000 too large a sum to pay Mr. Haswell for his work, considering 
the value of the book to this department and the foreign service generally, and I 
earnestly recommend that that sum be appropriated for its purchase. 

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 

Fredk. T. Frelinghuysen, 

Hon. John F. Miller, 

Chairman Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate. 


Department of State, 
Washington, December 20, 189U 

Sir: I have the honor to invite your considerate attention to the accompanying 
draft of a proposed amendment to the diplomatic and consular appropriation bill for 
the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, providing for the appropriation of $6,000, to be 
expended in the purchase of the manuscript of “The Chronological History of the 
Department of State, and the Foreign Relations of the Government from September 
5,1774, to the present date,” from Mr. John H. Haswell, Chief of the Bureau of Indexes 
and Archives in this department, by whom it has been compiled with industrious 
care and with the advantage of years of experience and familiarity with the subject. 

Copy of a letter of my predecessor, Mr. Frelinghuysen, in relation to this matter 
dated March 24, 1884, and copy of a report upon the work by Mr. Henry O’Connor, 
late examiner of claims of the department, dated September 26, 1883, are inclosed 
for your convenient reference and information. Mr. Frelinghuysen points out the 
value and usefulness of the book, commends its arrangement and completeness, and 
asks for its purchase for publication “in the full belief that it will be a valuable hand¬ 
book of reference to the heads of the executive departments of the Government, and 
in the certainty that it will be invaluable to the Committees of Foreign Affairs of Con¬ 
gress, to Secretaries of State and their assistants, and to officers in the foreign service 
of the Government.” I concur in his opinion and commendation, and add the expres¬ 
sion of my own conviction that the work, if purchased, would be of special and lasting 
service. 

Its compilation has occupied much of Mr. Haswell’s time outside of his regular 
duties at the department during the last eighteen years. An item looking to its 
purchase was submitted by this department, under the title “Historical Register of 
the Department of State,” in the estimates for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892. 

I have the honor, etc., 

James G. Blaine. 

Hon. Eugene Hale, 

United States Senate. 

H. Doe. 1181, 60—2-2 



10 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE, ETC. 


Department of State, 
Washington, January 14, 1893. 

Sir: I have the honor to call your attention to and to bespeak your favorable con¬ 
sideration of an item submitted in the estimates of appropriations required by this 
department for the coming fiscal year, in the sum of $6,000, for the purchase of “The 
Historical Register of the Department of State,” compiled by Mr. John H. Haswell, 
Chief of the Bureau of Indexes and Archives. 

The full description of the work, as given in the estimates, shows how complete 
are its scope and usefulness, particularly as regards the business of this department. 
It is no less valuable by reason of the historical information, which is one of its char 
acteristic features, as a book of reference for Members of Congress, for officers of the 
Government, and for students in American history. It has long since been recog¬ 
nized as such by high officials of this department, and Secretaries of State Freling- 
huysen, Bayard, and Blaine have in turn recommended its purchase to Congress. 

I wish to add my own earnest recommendation to theirs, and to say that, by so 
doing, I am not merely seeking to secure to Mr. Haswell a remuneration for his work. 
I sincerely believe the acquisition of the Historical Register to be for the public 
interest. 

I am, sir, your obedient servant, John W. Foster. 

Hon. Charles F. Crisp, 

Speaker of the Bouse of Representatives . 


[House Ex. Doc. No. 110, Forty-eighth Congress, second session.] 

Treasury Department, January 21, 1885. 

Sir: I have the honor to forward herewith an estimate of appropriation received 
from the Secretary of State for $6,000 to purchase the manuscript of the work entitled 
“The Chronological History of the Department of State and the Foreign Relations of 
the Government from September 5, 1774, to the Present Time,” compiled by John 
H. Haswell. 

Very respectfully, H. McCulloch, Secretary. 

The Speaker of the House of Representatives. 


Department of State, 

Washington, January 19, 1885. 

Str: I have the honor to request that, under the act passed July 7, 1884, you recom¬ 
mend to Congress an appropriation of the sum of $6,000 to enable the Secretary of State 
to purchase the manuscript of the work entitled “The Chronological History of the 
Department of State and the Foreign Relations of the Government from September 5, 
1774, to the Present Time,” compiled by Mr. John H. Haswell, Chief of the Bureau of 
Indexes and Archives in this department. The subject of the purchase of the manu¬ 
script from the author for publication was presented to Congress at its last session, as 
will appear from the letter addressed by me on the 24th day of March last to the Speaker 
of the House of Representatives, a copy of which is inclosed. 

I now learn from Mr. Haswell, by a communication from him of even date (a copy 
of which is also inclosed herewith), that he is engaged in carrying the record of the 
department and the foreign sei^ice down to July 1, 1885, a period of nearly two years 
later than was intended at the time the letter of the department above alluded to was 
sent to the Speaker. 

This addition makes the work a comprehensive history of every branch of the for¬ 
eign relations of this country, of the treaties, the international conferences, the diplo¬ 
matic and consular service, the Committees of Foreign Affairs of Congress, and the offi¬ 
cers of every grade of this department from the time of the first Colonial Congress down 
to the very day on which the publication of the work is expected to be completed, and 
gives the compilation an inestimable value as a reference book to this department, to 
Committees on Foreign Affairs, and to the foreign service of the Government. In the 
opinion of this department, the immediate purchase and speedy publication of this 
work will be of incalculable benefit, and I have the honor to recommend that such 
steps as are necessary to that end be taken as soon as possible. I have also to recom¬ 
mend that for that purpose a clause similar to the draft inclosed herewith be inserted 
in the proper appropriation bill. 

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 

Fred’k T. Frelinghuysen. 

Hon. Hugh McCulloch, 

Secretary of the Treasury. 



CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE, ETC. 11 


To enable the Secretary of State to purchase from John H. Haswell, Chief of the 
Bureau of Indexes and Archives in the Department of State, the manuscript of “The 
Chronological History of the Department of State and the Foreign Relations of the 
Government from September 5, 1774, to July 1 , 1885, ” prepared by him, the sum of 
$6,000 is hereby appropriated. 

And the Public Printer is hereby authorized, upon the requisition of the Secretary 
of State, to cause to be printed and bound in cloth, for the use of the Department of 
State, two thousand copies of the above-mentioned work. 


Department of State, 

Washington, March 24, 1884. 

Sir: Mr. John H. Haswell, Chief of the Bureau of Indexes and Archives in this 
department, has compiled a chronological history of the Department of State and 
of the foreign relations of the United States from the time of the organization of the 
first Colonial Congress, in September, 1774, down to the present time. In it is pre¬ 
sented a complete and accurate record of the dates of appointment and terms of service 
of all presiding officers of the Colonial Congress, of Presidents of the United States, of 
Secretaries of State, under secteraries, and all officers, clerks, etc., of this department 
(including those of the Patent Office previous to its transfer to the Department/of the 
Interior), of committees having charge of our foreign affairs, and of all officers con¬ 
nected with the foreign service of the United States, either diplomatic, consular, 
political, or special, as well as the dates of presentation and terms of service of all repre¬ 
sentatives of foreign countries accredited to this Government. A brief synopsis of 
every treaty, convention, protocol, or agreement between the United States and a for¬ 
eign government, and the cause, nature, and result of every international tribunal 
and commission in which, 

The work has been compiled by Mr. Haswell with the greatest regard for com¬ 
pleteness and accuracy—about twelve years having been consumed by him (outside 
of his regular duties at the department) in its preparation—and he has succeeded 
in arranging its contents in such a form as to facilitate in the highest possible degree 
a reference to any particular subject or to the official history of any individual, 
thus insuring its value as a handbook of reference. Many important facts in the 
early history of our foreign relations not hitherto known have been discovered by 
the author in his exhaustive researches among the government archives, and are 
here presented for the first time; and his work is of especial value because it com¬ 
pletes the imperfect records of the early period of this department, many of which 
were destroyed during the war of 1812. 

Two of the Assistant Secretaries of State and the Examiner of Claims have exam¬ 
ined the work and recommend its purchase for publication, in the full belief that it 
will be a valuable handbook of reference to the heads of the executive departments 
of the Government, and in the certainty that it will be invaluable to the Committees 
of Foreign Affairs of Congress, to Secretaries of State and their assistants, and to 
officers in the foreign service of the Government. 

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 

Fred’k T. Frelinghuysen. 

Hon. John G. Carlisle, 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 


Department of State, 
Washington, September 26, 1888. 

Sir: I have gone over, with the aid of Mr. Haswell and with some care on my own 
part that gentleman’s rare and valuable compilation of the officers, employees, and 
events of the Department of State, including our foreign service, diplomatic and con¬ 
sular, from the earliest steps of the colonists toward independence up to the present 


* Mr HasweU’s unpretentious work shows both skill and industry. 

Commencing with the Continental Congress in 1774, he has given a bird s-eye view 
of the men and events of which he treats up to the present year: Presidents and Vice- 
Presidents of the United States; Secretaries of State and Assistant Secretaries; all 
the officers and clerks who have ever been in th6 department; all our ministers 
abroad, general and special; all consular officers of every grade who have been in 
the service of the Government; the date and character of all treaties and conven¬ 
tions concluded between the United States and foreign powers; all commissions and 
arbitrations established under claims conventions or to which this Government was a 
party. d 




12 CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF DEPARTMENT OF STATE , ETC. 


This, though its chief, is by no means its only value. It is interspersed with per¬ 
tinent and rare scraps of history, which to the curious scholar, the historian, or the 
gentleman of leisure will be found most interesting and valuable. 

To all the executive departments of the Government it would prove to be a most 
valuable book of reference; to this department it would be almost invaluable, and 
should be on the tables of the Secretary and his assistants. 

Such a work, even imperfectly done, would be useful, but one of the chief merits 
of Mr. Haswell’s performance is in the accuracy, exactness, and completeness with 
which he has accomplished his laborious task. 

I hope some way may be found to make the work available for use and at the same 
time to remunerate Mr. Haswell for what must have cost him many years of labor. 

With great respect, etc., 

Henry O’Connor, 
Examiner of Claims. 

Hon. Frederick T. Frelinghuysen. 


0 

Sir: I have the honor to again respectfully call your attention to my work, “The 
Chronological History of the Department of State and the Foreign Relations of the 
Government from 1774 to the present time,” and to inform you that I am now engaged 
in completing the compilation down to July 1, 1885, a date nearly two years later than 
was intended when I had the honor to present the subject to you in March last. I 
think that you will agree with me that the additional labor thus entailed merits some 
additional compensation, and I have the honor to respectfully request that the proper 
steps be taken with a view to purchasing my work and appropriating for such purchase 
the sum of $6,000. 

I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant, 

John H. Haswell, 

Chief of Bureau of Indexes and Archives . 

Hon. Frederick T. Frelinghuysen. 

Secretary of State . 


LIBRARY 0F CONGRESS 


028 001 892 2 


Department of State, 

Bureau of Indexes and Archives, 

Washington , January 19, 1885. 




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